Pines, Coke Strike A Deal

Soft Drink Giantkeeps Exclusivity For Three Years

July 30, 2003|By Beth Feinstein-Bartl Special correspondent

Pembroke Pines will continue to be a Coca-Cola city through an agreement that extends its affiliation with the soft drink company to allow the exclusive sale of Coca-Cola products at parks and in municipal buildings for another three years.

The annual fee paid by Coca-Cola Enterprises to Pembroke Pines for exclusive soft drink vending rights will increase to $25,500 -- from $12,500 under the old agreement. As before, the city also will receive 30 percent of gross revenues from sales of Coca-Cola products.

Of the annual fee, $5,000 will be set aside for the city's annual Art in the Pines Festival, conducted each March at the Academic Village complex.

Dean Combs, the city's parks and recreation director, said he is pleased with the increased funds. "By agreeing to be a Coca-Cola city, we're able to package together this deal and create additional revenue," he said.

All money from Coca-Cola Enterprises goes into the city's general fund. In addition to the $12,500 exclusive vending rights fee paid annually under the old contract, the city earned $22,661 from gross revenue sales of Coca-Cola products in 2001 and $24,857 in 2002, Combs said.

The city has been selling Coca-Cola products such as soda, bottled water and sports drinks exclusively at vending machines and concession stands since 1998, Combs said.

Over the span of the agreement, Coca-Cola Enterprises has given 14 scoreboards, several outdoor tables with umbrellas, drinking coolers, sports drink mixes, towels, clipboards, squeeze bottles and other promotional items to the Parks and Recreation Department, he said.

"Everything has the company's logo," Combs said. "The items that benefit them also benefit us because we don't have to go out and buy it for our sports teams."